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Naltrexone pretreatment blocks microwave‐induced changes in central cholinergic receptors
Author(s) -
Lai H.,
Carino M. A.,
Wen Y. F.,
Horita A.,
Guy A. W.
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
bioelectromagnetics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.435
H-Index - 81
eISSN - 1521-186X
pISSN - 0197-8462
DOI - 10.1002/bem.2250120105
Subject(s) - naltrexone , cholinergic , hippocampus , endocrinology , muscarinic acetylcholine receptor , receptor , medicine , narcotic antagonist , central nervous system , pharmacology , antagonist , chemistry , anesthesia
Repeated exposure of rats to pulsed, circularly polarized microwaves (2,450‐MHz, 2‐μs pulses at 500 pps, power density 1 mW/cm 2 , at an averaged, whole‐body SAR of 0.6 W/kg) induced biphasic changes in the concentration of muscarinic cholinergic receptors in the central nervous system. An increase in receptor concentration occurred in the hippocampus of rats subjected to ten 45‐min sessions of microwave exposure, whereas a decrease in concentration was observed in the frontal cortex and hippocampus of rats exposed to ten 20‐min sessions. These findings, which confirm earlier work in the authors' laboratory, were extended to include pretreatment of rats with the narcotic antagonist naltrexone (1 mg/kg, IP) before each session of exposure. The drug treatment blocked the microwave‐induced changes in cholinergic receptors in the brain. These data further support the authors' hypothesis that endogenous opioids play a role in the effects of microwaves on central cholinergic systems.